Book Review: 100 Things to See in the Night Sky, Expanded Edition: Your Illustrated Guide to the Planets, Satellites, Constellations, and More

 

100 Things to See in the Night Sky is a guide by Dean Regas, published in 2017 and updated in 2020, that teaches/helps people locate various objects in the sky. The objects are those that can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere at different times of the year. It begins with the simplest objects we see every day-- the sun and the moon. In the discussion of the sun, Regas talks about how to safely observe it without damaging your eyes. He also talks about the best times to observe the moon through binoculars or a telescope, and what to look for when you do. He then discusses the planets visible to the naked eye, followed by various constellations and the stars that form them. He also mentions some deep sky objects that would require binoculars or a telescope to see, such as the Andromeda Galaxy and various star clusters, and how to find them relative to the constellations. He concludes with a discussion on observing things such as comets, meteor showers, and even satellites. 

The hardcover version of the book is a little under 250 pages long, but it has a lot of photographs and illustrations, so it is not 250 pages of actual text and reads quickly. Regas does an excellent job of detailing where to look for the various objects he discusses, as well as providing a short history of how they were first discovered (for those there are a record) or the stories behind how they were named. Ultimately, it is a fascinating book that is perfect for amateur astronomers, teaching what is becoming more of a lost art due to computerized telescope mounts. Namely, finding celestial objects just using your eyes and hands. It is absolutely worth reading. On a personal note, it will always hold a special place for me since it was the last book my mom got me before she passed away.